No, you can’t overdose on marijuana. Here are side effects GA residents should know about.
Although medical marijuana in the form of low THC oil is legal in Georgia with a registry card, marijuana in all other forms is illegal in the Peach State.
However, the illegal possession and use of the drug still occurs in high volumes within the state.
According to the Georgia Cannabis Information System, Georgia ranks sixth in the country for marijuana arrests and drug charges.
In a 2021 study, 35.4% of U.S. young adults aged 18 to 25 (around 11 million people) reported using marijuana in the past year.
From smoking, vaping, edibles and more, marijuana is readily available, normalized and used by many each day. But what are the risks? Can you overdose on weed? And what are the other effects?
Let’s see what the experts say.
Can you overdose on weed?
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “An overdose occurs when a person uses enough of the drug to produce life-threatening symptoms or death. There are no reports of teens or adults dying from marijuana alone.”
The NIDA does note, however, some strong and troublesome effects of using marijuana.
Here are some examples:
Short-term effects
altered senses (for example, seeing brighter colors)
altered sense of time
changes in mood
impaired body movement
difficulty with thinking and problem-solving
impaired memory
hallucinations (when taken in high doses)
delusions (when taken in high doses)
psychosis (risk is highest with regular use of high potency marijuana)
Long-term effects
According to the NIDA, long-term effects are associated with brain development:
“When people begin using marijuana as teenagers, the drug may impair thinking, memory, and learning functions and affect how the brain builds connections between the areas necessary for these functions. Researchers are still studying how long marijuana’s effects last and whether some changes may be permanent.”
Other physical & mental effects
Other effects can include:
Breathing problems
Increased heart rate
Intense nausea and vomiting
Temporary hallucinations
Temporary paranoia
Anxiety and depression
Worsening symptoms in patients with schizophrenia—a severe mental disorder with symptoms such as hallucinations, paranoia and disorganized thinking
Have more questions? Comment below or email me at cmadden@mcclatchy.com
This story was originally published August 2, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
